. How to Charge a Prius Battery
How to Charge a Prius Battery
How to Charge a Prius Battery

How to Charge a Prius Battery

How to Charge a Prius Battery Download Article Co-authored by Duston Maynes and Eric McClure

Last Updated: February 10, 2025 References

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  • Jumping a Dead Auxiliary Battery
    • |
  • Charging a Plug-In Prius
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This article was co-authored by Duston Maynes and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Duston Maynes is an Automotive Repair Specialist at RepairSmith. Duston specializes in leading a team that handles a variety of automotive repairs including replacing spark plugs, front and rear brake pads, fuel pumps, car batteries, alternators, timing belts, and starter motors. Duston holds an Associate’s degree in Automotive/Diesel Technology from The Universal Technical Institute of Arizona and is a Certified Diagnostic Technician and Automobile Mechanics Technician through BMW STEP. RepairSmith received The 2020 Big Innovation Award by Business Intelligence Group and The Startup of the Year by the American Business Awards. RepairSmith was also included in Built in LA’s 50 Startups to Watch and The Business Intelligence Group’s 52 Names Leading the Way in Customer Service. RepairSmith offers in-home services to provide car owners convenient and complete auto repair everywhere. There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 79,081 times.

If you’ve got a Prius, you may be wondering how to keep your hybrid vehicle charged. Or, you may be a seasoned Prius owner whose car suddenly won’t start. In either case, it helps to know how to charge your Prius. Toyota’s line of Priuses have two batteries—the primary main battery that powers the engine and an auxiliary 12-volt battery responsible for starting the vehicle. While the auxiliary battery charges itself every time you brake, you can accidentally drain it by leaving your lights on. In this article, we’ll explain how to jump the auxiliary battery on a dead Prius, and how to keep your Plug-In Prius fully charged.

Method 1 Method 1 of 2: Jumping a Dead Auxiliary Battery Download Article
  1. 1 If your Prius won’t start, you need to charge the auxiliary battery. If your Prius is a 2012 or older, the battery is probably under the floor mat in the trunk.[1] X Research source On newer models, pop the hood and remove the black cover on the smaller battery to the right of the traditional, high voltage battery. This is the auxiliary battery.[2] X Research source
    • If you can’t figure out how to open the trunk without the electric button on the outside, there’s a lever on the interior of your vehicle near the base of the trunk’s latch.
    • If you’re in a tight spot, you can jumpstart the Prius’ main battery like you’d jumpstart any car. However, the auxiliary battery is designed to start your vehicle, so it’s generally considered ideal to charge the 12-volt if your Prius won’t start.
  2. 2 Lift the jointed red terminal cap on the rear edge of the battery to expose the positive terminal. Clamp the red positive lead to the positive terminal.[3] X Expert Source Duston MaynesAutomotive Repair Specialist Expert Interview [4] X Research source
    • To jump the auxiliary battery, you will need another vehicle or a remote battery charger.
    • You can use traditional jumper cables for this. There is nothing unique about the auxiliary battery that requires special equipment.
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  3. 3 If you’re using a remote charger, connect the free end of the red cable to the positive port. If you’re using another vehicle, attach the remaining red cable to the red positive terminal on the battery.[5] X Research source
    • If you don’t already have a battery charger, you can pick one up online or at any automotive store for around $50-100.
  4. 4 Plug the black cable lead into the negative port on your charger. If you’re using another vehicle to jumpstart your car, clamp the negative lead to the negative terminal on the running vehicle’s battery.[6] X Research source
  5. 5 [7] X Expert Source Duston MaynesAutomotive Repair Specialist Expert Interview You can connect the remaining negative lead to any unpainted and bare metal, so long as it’s not a moving part and it’s away from the 12-volt battery. If you can’t find a good spot for the negative clamp, pop the cover on your engine block and connect the clamp to the block’s frame.[8] X Research source
    • This will prevent an open circuit, which may spark when you begin charging and potentially damage your vehicle.
  6. 6 If you’re using a remote charger, simply flip the switch or press the power button to begin charging the battery. If you’re using another vehicle, start the engine and slowly rev the engine repeatedly. Your auxiliary battery should have enough juice after roughly 5 minutes.[9] X Research source
    • If your remote charger has customizable amperage settings, select 12 volts and 2 amps. Charging more than 2.5-3 amps may damage the circuit.[10] X Research source
  7. 7 [11] X Expert Source Duston MaynesAutomotive Repair Specialist Expert Interview Put your foot on the brake and press the push-to-start button. If you see the “ready” light illuminate on your dashboard, your 12-volt battery is on and you’re good to go. If the indicator doesn’t pop up or nothing happens, continue charging for another 5 minutes and try again.[12] X Research source
    • If your vehicle isn’t starting after 2-3 attempts, check your cable leads. You may have accidentally connected one of the leads to an incorrect terminal.
    • If your connections are solid and the vehicle still isn’t starting, you may have a faulty battery. Contact a dealership or mechanic near you to get a replacement.
  8. 8 Remove the negative lead on your Prius first, followed by negative lead on the charger or other vehicle. Then, remove the positive lead on the other vehicle or charger, and finish by taking the positive lead off of your Prius. Put the cover back on your battery and close the hood or trunk.[13] X Research source
  9. 9 The really cool thing about the 12-volt auxiliary battery is that it charges itself when you drive. Every time you brake, the kinetic energy is converted to electricity that powers your 12-volt battery. Drive around for a few minutes to get that auxiliary battery charged before you park and shut off your Prius.[14] X Research source
    • Try to make it a point to drive your vehicle for at least 20-30 minutes at a time once or twice per week.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2: Charging a Plug-In Prius Download Article
  1. 1 The charging cable is in the trunk of your car, under the floor mat. Insert the prongs into a normal outlet.[15] X Research source
    • Many Priuses do not have charging ports. Those vehicles can only be charged using the kinetic energy from your brakes.
    • If you don’t still have the original charging cable that came with your Prius, you can purchase a replacement from a dealership or online.[16] X Research source
  2. 2 On newer Prius models, the charging port is on the opposite side of your gas tank. Push in the panel door to release it, then open it outwards. Remove the cap from the port and rest it on the built-in holder next to the charging port.[17] X Research source
    • The charging port itself will almost always be on the left side of the panel, with the cap holder on the right side.
  3. 3 Pull the protective cover off of the charger’s head and slip it into the exposed port, making sure the molded holes on the inside of both components are in alignment. You’ll feel the charger head click when it’s seated securely.[18] X Research source
    • The charging head is the larger handle-like end of the charging cable, opposite the plug end.
    • You should feel a click once the cable is in all the way.
  4. 4 A small green light will appear at the bottom of the charging panel to let you know the battery is charging. If the light doesn’t come on, take the charger out and reconnect it.[19] X Research source
  5. 5 If you’ve connected your Prius to a standard 120-volt wall outlet, it will take approximately 2½ hours to bring a totally drained battery back up to 100%. If you’re hooked up to a 240-volt charging station, your total charging time will drop to 1½ hours.[20] X Research source
    • On newer Prius models, such as the Prius Prime, you can check your charging progress by looking at the 3 blinking blue lights on the passenger side of the dashboard. When all 3 lights are steadily illuminated, your vehicle is done charging.[21] X Research source
    • The Multi-Information Display (MID) on the inside of the car also shows your current charging status, including an estimate of how much time is left until your battery is fully charged.
    • To reduce the amount of time you spend charging your Prius, consider upgrading to a 9 level 2 charger setup at home.[22] X Trustworthy Source Consumer Reports Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing Go to source
  6. 6 Press the small button on the charging panel beside the indicator light. Replace the protective cover on the charger head, then put the cap back on the charging port and close the charging panel. Stash your charging cable in the specially-designed compartment in the trunk of your vehicle.[23] X Research source
    • It's a good idea to keep your Prius Plug-In charged whenever you're not driving it to ensure you’re always driving with as much hybrid power as possible. This will cut fuel costs and harmful emissions.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question How do you charge the main battery? wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer You don't charge the main battery on the non-plug-in models. The auxiliary battery is responsible for starting the Prius, so you jump the smaller battery if your car is dead. If you have a plug-in Prius, you charge the main battery by simply plugging the charger in! Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 6 Helpful 1
  • Question How much will your electric bill go up? wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer It changes a little bit depending on where you live, but the national average cost for charging a hybrid or electric vehicle is 12 cents per kilowatt. This comes out to roughly $23 for every full charge. However, you don't have to buy gas nearly as often with a hybrid vehicle, so it is almost always cheaper to pay for electricity than to pay for gas. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 7 Helpful 3
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Tips

  • If you live in a state with California emission laws, you can get a free replacement battery if yours dies so long as the car is less than 10 years old and you’ve driven less than 150,000 miles (240,000 km). If you don’t live in a state with California emission laws, it’s 8 years or 100,000 miles (160,000 km). Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Invest in a spare compatible charging cable and keep it in your vehicle at all times in case your original manufacturer-supplied cable becomes lost or damaged. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/don-battery-die-ever-741#gs.9dy7lg
  2. ↑ https://youtu.be/88nsTN4gRKA?t=23
  3. ↑ Duston Maynes. Automotive Repair Specialist. Expert Interview
  4. ↑ https://youtu.be/oOY8wSZ--TY?t=20
  5. ↑ https://youtu.be/oOY8wSZ--TY?t=24
  6. ↑ https://youtu.be/oOY8wSZ--TY?t=31
  7. ↑ Duston Maynes. Automotive Repair Specialist. Expert Interview
  8. ↑ https://youtu.be/oOY8wSZ--TY?t=37
  9. ↑ https://youtu.be/oOY8wSZ--TY?t=50
More References (14)
  1. ↑ https://youtu.be/xir2w5W6cFU?t=348
  2. ↑ Duston Maynes. Automotive Repair Specialist. Expert Interview
  3. ↑ https://youtu.be/oOY8wSZ--TY?t=63
  4. ↑ https://youtu.be/oOY8wSZ--TY?t=77
  5. ↑ https://www.toyotapartsandservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2018-4_CP-a1.pdf
  6. ↑ https://youtu.be/W5b1QLm0lsk?t=16
  7. ↑ https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1093540_plug-in-electric-cars-how-to-buy-a-second-charging-cable
  8. ↑ https://youtu.be/5YjXGnxanRQ?t=25
  9. ↑ https://youtu.be/W5b1QLm0lsk?t=44
  10. ↑ https://youtu.be/W5b1QLm0lsk?t=44
  11. ↑ https://pressroom.toyota.com/toyota-introduces-2012-prius-plug-in-hybrid/
  12. ↑ https://youtu.be/W5b1QLm0lsk?t=54
  13. ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/hybrids-evs/whats-the-right-electric-car-charger-for-your-home/
  14. ↑ https://youtu.be/W5b1QLm0lsk?t=100

About This Article

Co-authored by: Duston Maynes Automotive Repair Specialist This article was co-authored by Duston Maynes and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Duston Maynes is an Automotive Repair Specialist at RepairSmith. Duston specializes in leading a team that handles a variety of automotive repairs including replacing spark plugs, front and rear brake pads, fuel pumps, car batteries, alternators, timing belts, and starter motors. Duston holds an Associate’s degree in Automotive/Diesel Technology from The Universal Technical Institute of Arizona and is a Certified Diagnostic Technician and Automobile Mechanics Technician through BMW STEP. RepairSmith received The 2020 Big Innovation Award by Business Intelligence Group and The Startup of the Year by the American Business Awards. RepairSmith was also included in Built in LA’s 50 Startups to Watch and The Business Intelligence Group’s 52 Names Leading the Way in Customer Service. RepairSmith offers in-home services to provide car owners convenient and complete auto repair everywhere. This article has been viewed 79,081 times. 11 votes - 40% Co-authors: 6 Updated: February 10, 2025 Views: 79,081 Categories: Car Engines In other languagesJapanese
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Yes No Advertisement If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Duston Maynes Automotive Repair Specialist 11 votes - 40% Click a star to vote 40% of people told us that this article helped them. Co-authors: 6 Updated: February 10, 2025 Views: 79,081

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